Using Moon Phases to Measure Time

Using Moon Phases to Measure Time

Cultures need to accurately record dates and times for various societal purposes. In ancient times, the sun and moon they’re used as measurement devices because of the scientific understanding of the physical world at that time. Sixth-grade students’ understanding of time was enriched by a four-lesson sequence that integrated science (the constantly progressing lunar cycle), mathematics (what makes a “good” standard unit), and literacy (cultural events dependent on the “time” of year).

There are four lesson or steps to know how ancient scientific measure time. First, we must know about lunar phases and moonlight. Moonlight is light generated by the moon, it isn’t reflected sunlight. They must know the different between a month and a lunar cycle.

Second, we must know about standard units. Knowing about standard units, making comparisons between standard units, and using a standard unit to record the size of an object are critical bits of information when learning to measure. As a standard unit, the lunar cycle would not work well for measuring an Earth year so, the lunar cycle would not serve as a convenient standard unit.

Third, about Hopi astronomers. Hopi astronomers demonstrated scientific and mathematical dexterity in marking the passage of time. They understood rhythms of the moon and Earth and used science, mathematics, and literacy to inform their people. In reality, ancient astronomers measured time using both the sun and the moon to plan associated celebrations. Astronomers knew how to read the moon and sun to adjust calendars to accommodate discrepancies. They told them that the moon is an important cultural artifact because the ancient Hopi successfully used moons to measure an Earth year. One promising result was the general agreement that the moon was a dependable constant, longer than a day and shorter than a season.

Lastly, we must lesson how to describing time. In this lesson, we or the sudents analyze why Hopi use moon phases to measuring time and why the Hopi culture successfully related to time using sun, season, and moon. At the end, students could generalize the notion that time was often understood by studying the moon and other celestial bodies.

Any set of lessons about time measurement needs to know what “time” it is. Knowing how and why a society measures time provides a solid foundation for understanding measurement. Different cultures will have different priorities about what is important in the measurement of time. In this article, it studied ancient time measurement techniques and strategies of the Hopi to dramatize decisions made by the society’s timekeepers that corrected for the mismatch bettheyen the 365.25-day year and iterations of the 29.5-day lunar cycle. Knowing that the lunar cycle will not divide a calendar year, they recognized and named a 13th moon and inserted it whenever it was needed. Studying lunar cycles, culture, and literature allow sixth-grade students to grow in their understanding of standard units.

Source : Janet Sharp, Tracie Lutz, and Donna E. LaLonde, Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School ● Vol. 21, No. 3, October 2015.